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Batman (1966)
Batman is a thirty-minute prime time, live action television series broadcast by the ABC Network between 1966 and 1968. Premiering on January 12th, the series featured actor Adam West as the perennial character of Batman, while Burt Ward donned nylon stockings and fairy boots for his portrayal of the erstwhile sidekick, Robin. The series took the tradition of Batman into uncharted territory, oftentimes mocking the character's heritage with trite dialogue and overly campy plot devices. The show was noteworthy for its memorable use of onomatopoeia during climactic fight scenes. Despite the clumsy nature of the series however, the show proved popular to many fans, and transformed Adam and Burt into modern pop culture icons. When not fighting crime as Batman and Robin, the Dynamic Duo were often found at Wayne manor in their respective identities as Bruce Wayne and his "youthful ward", Dick Grayson. Living alongside them in the vast mansion, was doddering old Aunt Harriet (a character exclusive to the television series), and their mild-mannered butler, Alfred. Alfred possessed the good fortune of being the only other person to know Batman and Robin's secret identities. Unlike the earlier movie serials of the 1940s, this was the first Batman project to feature Batman's rouges gallery of villains. Cesar Romero made numerous appearances as the Joker, while Burgess Meredith reinvented the image of the Penguin, with his crooked smile and trademark "Squawk". Julie Newmar provided Catwoman's rolling "R"s, only to be replaced later by Lee Meriwether, and again by Eartha Kitt. Two men provided their talents to the role of the Riddler - Frank Gorshin and John Astin. By season three, declining ratings prompted the introduction of a third partner to the Bat Family, Barbara Gordon – aka Batgirl (played by Yvonne Craig). Although Batgirl was an immensely popular character, her presence could not save the series, and it was cancelled in 1968. Episodes Season One Season Two Season Three Notes & Trivia * Producer/series creator William Dozier was also the narrator on the series and supplied the "cliffhanger" voiceover at the end of each episode. * The Moldavian Prime Minister is the first character featured on Batman. He is also the first character with speaking lines. * The Riddler is the first guest-villain featured on Batman. * The Molehill Mob is the first gang of henchpeople featured on Batman. * Actress Linda Harrison made her acting debut in the season one episode, "The Joker Goes to School". She went on to gain some small measure of sci-fi notoriety by playing the role of scantily clad primitive Nova in the Planet of the Apes film series. * Actors Madge Blake and Neil Hamilton were both born in 1899. Madge was born on May 31st, while Neil was born on September 9th. * Adam West wrote a piece about the history of Batman, which was included as an introduction in the Batman in the Sixties trade paperback. * Leading actor Adam West passed away after a short battle with Leukemia in Los Angeles, California on June 9th, 2017. He was 88-years-old. Hollywood Reporter.com; "Adam West, Straight-Faced Star of TV's 'Batman,' Dies at 88". Barnes, Mike (6-10-17). See also External Links References ---- Category:Programs Category:20th Century Fox Television Category:Greenway Productions Category:American Broadcasting Company